are disc brakes worth it ?

[morph999]

I just bought a $14 cable set to fix my rear caliper brake. I didn't realize how much my rear brake sucked. Or maybe I didn't install it correctly? I have to pull the handle a lot harder than with my front brakes. Is that normal? The brakes have to be a lot closer to the rim for them to work too. The new cable ended up being a little too long so I just ran it along the bike seat post a little. I found the if I wrapped the cable too much, the brakes stopped working completely. I guess because of kinks in the line? So I unwrapped it and then just ran it along the seat post. It was really hard threading it through the two holes that in my brake calipers. First time I did it, the threads went everywhere and I had to cut off more of it and try again. All the little wires spread out making it impossible to thread through.

Now that I'm done, I'm a little disappointed. I'm not sure if they'll even stop me. I'll have to try it out tomorrow.

 

[Zoot Katz]

You need to learn the mantra: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
Try http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html for starts and keep clicking, reading, digesting and learning.
It will help you figure out things for yourself to become more independent. . . and babes think that's hot.

 

[morph999]

hahaha

 

[Zoot Katz]

hahaha

No joke. Knowing how to adjust brakes and route cables is basic stuff for anyone attempting their own repairs.

Bicycling is a meditation or discipline that builds inner strength which then carries over into other aspects of your life.
Your self assured attitude is based in reality instead of your own movie.
That's irresistible to any babe worth your time.

 

[morph999]

I've given up on women. My bike and my computer are my women these days. I'm much much happier without females.

 

[Zoot Katz]

I've given up on women. My bike and my computer are my women these days. I'm much much happier without females.

My computer don't dance and I love dancing.

 

[Russell]

Well up until this year I would not have said disc brakes were a big deal. I don't use my brakes all that often since I like to go on long rides on country roads so I've never given them a great deal of thought. This year however was the first time I've ridden an ebike so I was out earlier in the season and riding in a lot of wet conditions. The loss in braking from the water was one thing but something far worse was all of the crud that was in that meltwater. More than a few times I got metal particles embedded in the brake pads which not only reduced braking efficiency but really did a number on my new rims. In just a few hundred miles the rims on my ebike have more wear than wheels I've ridden for thousands of miles in better conditions. So now I'm thinking it would be nice to have at least one bike with disc brakes just for sloppy weather.

-R

 

[el_walto]

I don't really notice much of a difference between using my ezee disc or V brakes. It's not worth the extra money(and pain aligning it correctly with adapters) unless you ride in rain often.

 

[Vim]

I've updated my brakes recently to a front Avid BB7 disc brake and found some awesome rear brake pads on eBay called Kool Stop Mountain Pads. To me the front disc was well worth it, and along with the Kool Stop pads and a lot of fine tuning I can stop on a dime now. If I get down hard on the brakes I can easily lock them up, but they're tweeked to stop hard from 30+ mph with a minimum of skidding. The Kool Stop pads can make rim brakes almost as good as the non-hydraulic discs if well tuned and properly seated imho.

Some pics of my brake setup -

 

[nicobie]

Hey Vim,

Thanks for the tip on the pads.

What kind of saddle did you go with? Looks comfy.

Nick

 

[Vim]

Hi Nick,
The pads took a few rides to wear in and get seated good, but after that and a little bit of rubber build-up on the rims I was very happy with the big improvement over the stock pads. I've read some people say they're not so great in the wet, so if you ride in the rain they might not be the best choice. I only ride when it's nice out, so I love them.

Yeah, the seat... I thought I'd class it up a bit with a nice leather Brooks saddle I found on sale at the LBS. My prostate was not amused. At first it was like a medieval torture device, but it did eventually start breaking in, kinda like a baseball glove does. But, I figured if I wanted to continue having a sex life I'd better switch back to my old tried & true comfort gel saddle, so the Brooks is now a nice garage wall ornament.

Oh, and thanks again for the tip on the Avid BB7s.

 

[johnrobholmes]

I run disc brakes on about all of my bikes. I really miss them on my caliper bikes. I don't mess with cable disc brakes though, only hydros. Nothing beats a big disc for consistent and strong braking.

 

[recumpence]

Disc brake all the way.

I have mechanical and hydro. I like the hydraulic best, but my Avid BB7s are great too.

One thing, though, I run Hope hydraulics. They are among the best in the world, so it is hard to be disappointed.

Matt

 

[recumbent]

If your talking "rear brakes", then go hydraulic discs for sure.

The main reason your rears are not working well is probly because the cables are soo long they stretch and bind a bit and feel like crap. However the v-brake pads that Vim posted above look like a good cheap fix.

I had to install hydraulic discs in the rear of my bike because the bike's almost 7 feet long and the cables felt like rubber bands they were so long.

 

[Mathurin]

I have to pull the handle a lot harder than with my front brakes. Is that normal?

No.

The brakes have to be a lot closer to the rim for them to work too. The new cable ended up being a little too long so I just ran it along the bike seat post a little. I found the if I wrapped the cable too much, the brakes stopped working completely. I guess because of kinks in the line?

Less housing lenght means better brake response, less housing bends also means better brake response. You don't need to use the cable holders on your bike, and if avoiding them means a better cable line that'S not ugly then go fer it, nothing wrong using a zip tie. Ajust housing lenght so you can get it as non-kinked as possible. Make sure the ends of housings where you cut them are flush-ish and not spiraled otherwise it'll make the brakes spongy - a metal file works well if you don't have housing cutters. Make sure the ends of your housings are open and round, maybe crush them with pliers a bit and open up the ends with something like a corkboard tack to reduce friction.

It was really hard threading it through the two holes that in my brake calipers. First time I did it, the threads went everywhere and I had to cut off more of it and try again. All the little wires spread out making it impossible to thread through.

Now that I'm done, I'm a little disappointed. I'm not sure if they'll even stop me. I'll have to try it out tomorrow.

Pic?
I'm guessing you have stamped steel sidepull calipers? If so, they're never gonna work well, you'll need to upgrade to something like a set of Dia-Compe Bulldog calipers (they're cheap and good) Kool-Stop MTB pads will complete the package nicely, you won't think about your brakes anymore. But don't bother with those pads on a stamped steel caliper, they're gonna bend and make the pads rub the tire on hard braking.

Wish I was around there, I could fix up your bike nice & fast.

 

[biohazardman]

Most of the braking is done in the front on a bike, like 70% or so, that's just the way it is. Cars are that way too. So have a good front brake if you wants to stop although regen is really good for slowing down to a near stop.

 

[johnrobholmes]

100% of the braking can be done on the front, and I can do endo's to prove it :lol:

Rear is nice for bias through corners though.

 

[zukster]

Better quality cables will offer less binding to the rear as well.

I have Avid brakes on my MTB and they work well. Now that its juiced, the brakes
are needed a lot more. So I'm going to add a disc to the front. My original front fork
does not have disk tabs to mount a disk, but I can get a new/used front fork
with shocks that have tabs on them, then add a disc. So its an easy upgrade. I think most of
the braking will be done on the front once the disks are on , as they will
grab consistently and reliably. For the rear of my bike, I don't have disc
tabs. Having ones welded on is an option but seems like a pain. Might as
well just get a new bike. I think I'll go with the Kool Stop Mountain Pads pads above
for the rear.

 

[TylerDurden]

For the rear of my bike, I don't have disc tabs. Having ones welded on is an option but seems like a pain.

You could consider an adapter:



http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=314985
(scroll down for embedded pix)

 

[zukster]

Didn't know about those. Cool. Too clunky though.

 

[Drunkskunk]

-->TylerDurden, Damn. Thats cool. where is that from?

--> Morph. your rear cable is too long, so its binding. if you don't know how to cut the sheath to the right leingth, take it into a good shop and have them do it. A bolt cutter won't work, and a disk brake would be even harder to pull on that cable.


Disc aren't "that" much better on the rear. I have one bike with disc only on the front, Side pulls on the rear, and it stops as easily and with as much controll as the all disc bike in normal weather and on the road. In the wet, a rear disc is great, but I don't ride in the wet.

For the front, Disc rules. But too big of a disc won't heat propperly and is worse than caliper brakes. The brake needs some heat to work best. In my case, 160mm was perfect for sub 30mph rides. a 185 doesn't get hot enough at pedestrian speeds, but does work great at 35mph.

I've found Hydrolic suck. I hate the fluid lag, it drives me insain. Most people never notice it though. I use Avid BB7. Great brake. bb5's are good too, just a little less adjustment. I use one on my scrap build, and love it.

 

[TylerDurden]

-->TylerDurden, Damn. Thats cool. where is that from?

Photo is of a Specialized Sharkfin. (My Ex has one on her MTB.) The link posted has images of numerous adapters.

 

[MitchJi]

Hi,

For the front, Disc rules. But too big of a disc won't heat properly and is worse than caliper brakes. The brake needs some heat to work best. In my case, 160mm was perfect for sub 30mph rides. a 185 doesn't get hot enough at pedestrian speeds, but does work great at 35mph.

Can't you solve that issue with different pads? A quick google search turned up:

Sintered pads: High-performance brake pads. This kind of pad has powerful stopping power under heavy conditions only. Needs braking heat to perform, perfect for freeride or downhill.

If not isn't better optimize your brakes for 35mph (if you frequently hit that speed) when you really need great brakes than at pedestrian speeds?

are disc brakes worth it ?

On a bike your skull and rib cage are the "crush zone" so I think they are.

 

[etard]

Cool adapter TD

OK, so especially on an ebike, disc brakes are worth it. But my question is: Are Hydraulic disc brakes worth it? My mechanical BB7's seem to stop me as good or better than I have ever needed them to, is it physically possible to stop any better than a hundredth of a NM before lock up? OK, so they have better feel, but do they actually STOP better?

 

[Drunkskunk]

For the front, Disc rules. But too big of a disc won't heat properly and is worse than caliper brakes. The brake needs some heat to work best. In my case, 160mm was perfect for sub 30mph rides. a 185 doesn't get hot enough at pedestrian speeds, but does work great at 35mph.

Can't you solve that issue with different pads? A quick google search turned up:

Sintered pads: High-performance brake pads. This kind of pad has powerful stopping power under heavy conditions only. Needs braking heat to perform, perfect for freeride or downhill.

If not isn't better optimize your brakes for 35mph (if you frequently hit that speed) when you really need great brakes than at pedestrian speeds?

Yes and no. My design philosophy is to get the right size and type brake first, then fine tune it for the best preformance. If the right sized disk works well with the standard pads, it will work even better with a more appropriat type pad. but the reverse isn't always true. The other problem is many of those sintered pads tear up the disc, and wear out faster.